Living Memory
by rubycaspar
Summary: John activates a strange device and finds himself in the past. While there he helps to shape a member of his team into the leader she is destined to become. COMPLETE! Now revised to fit with series four canon.
1. Chapter 1

_I decided to revise this story, as it almost fit into canon but not quite... now it does though. Which makes me happy. I'd also completely forgotten to put in a particular plot point the first time I wrote it (because I'm rather stupid) and now that's in too. _

_I've left the same author's notes at the beginnings of the chapters. _

_Disclaimer – I own none of the Stargate franchise._

_Dedicated to MrsB who helped me come up with the title for the story._

_**SPOILERS**__ up to the end of series 3, and for series 4. _

_**Chapter One**_

John strode down the hallway, tightening the straps on his flack vest as he walked. He was due to go through the gate right now, but he had got caught up in an impromptu basketball game in the gym with Lorne and a bunch of marines, and had completely lost track of time.

John sped up and almost barrelled straight into Teyla as she rounded a corner onto the hallway.

John rocked forward as he stopped suddenly, and Teyla stepped back quickly, her hand going protectively to her stomach. Her pregnancy was now blatantly obvious just by looking at her, and John had noticed her resting her hands on her stomach quite often in the past few weeks.

"Hey," said John.

Teyla looked him up and down before looking him in the eye. "You are leaving now?" She asked.

John nodded. "Yeah, just heading out," he said. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing."

The tone of her voice and the look on her face made it abundantly clear that Teyla was not happy about being left behind. But she was pregnant and that was that, and though he knew she hated it, John also knew that she understood.

He gave her a sympathetic look, though, and Teyla's face quickly rearranged itself into its usual serene expression. John was suddenly looking at the Teyla he knew well, who could not be ruffled by anything.

"That is alright," she said. She gave him a small smile. "Take care."

John nodded and started to walk again. "We will," he said. "See you in a few." He waved goodbye and hurried on to the gate room.

The gate activated just as he entered, and the shimmering blue light of the event horizon fell on Rodney, Ronon and Sam Carter. They all looked round at him as he bounded up the steps towards them.

"_Finally_," said Rodney when he saw him. "What took you so long?"

John rolled his eyes. "I'm two minutes late, Rodney," he said. "Keep your hair on."

Sam smiled. "All ready Colonel?" She asked.

John nodded. "Yeah, ready to go," he replied.

"Okay then," Sam said. "Have fun."

John started to walk towards the gate. "Yes ma'am," he called over his shoulder. "See you later."

"God speed."

John walked through the gate, Rodney and Ronon right behind him. They emerged a few seconds later on PG7-398.

The stargate on this planet stood at the bottom of a hill which rose to their right. To their left the land was relatively flat, and the edge of a forest loomed in the distance. The land was wild and rocky, and plants like brambles grew everywhere. However, John noticed what looked like the remains of a very narrow path winding its way up the hill, though it was overgrown and looked like it hadn't been used in quite a while.

The MALP they had sent through the day before stood at the very bottom of the path.

"Okay, basic recon, let's head up," John said, nodding towards the hill.

"Up?" Rodney repeated. "Oh of course, we have to choose the _hill_."

John pulled out his sunglasses and put them on, completely ignoring Rodney. "Come on, let's get going." He started to walk towards the path.

"The MALP indicated no lifesigns or energy readings," Rodney said as they walked past it and stepped onto the path. "I don't think we'll find anything."

John kicked some brambles out of the way and started up the path. "Probably not, but keep your eyes open," he said.

The three men followed the path as best they could – it was very overgrown in places and Ronon soon got annoyed with the path and started to just climb the hill. John chose to stick to the path, Rodney just behind him. The hill was quite steep but the path twisted a lot and kept their trek quite gentle.

Ronon got to the top of the hill before John and Rodney and looked back over his shoulder at the two of them.

"Sheppard, McKay –" He called to them.

John sped up for the last leg of the climb. "What you got?" He called.

Ronon turned sombre eyes on John as he got closer. "I don't think anyone lives here anymore," he said.

John stepped up next to Ronon and looked out. His eyes widened. Rodney joined them a second later and summed up what John was thinking with one word.

"Jeez."

The brambles grew here too, but over what had obviously once been some kind of settlement. Broken wood and stone lay scattered over the area, and the remains of dilapidated buildings were clustered nearby. Closest to them, on what seemed to have once been some kind of town square, wood and cloth and bits of metal lay jumbled and broken together in separate piles.

"It looks like it was a market or something," said Rodney. John saw what he meant – the piles of wood and cloth may have once been stalls.

"Years ago," Rodney added needlessly. It was obvious that the place had been destroyed some time before.

"I'd say no one's been here in at least ten years," growled Ronon.

"What makes you say that?" Asked Rodney.

Ronon didn't say anything – he just pointed. John looked to where he was indicating and saw an overturned cart. Pinned underneath its side was a body, the torso and head exposed to the air. It was completely decomposed.

Even so, John could see the jaw frozen in a silent scream.

John wrenched his gaze away and turned to Rodney. "Are there any lifesigns?" He asked him.

Rodney was staring at the dead body, but blinked and looked back at John when he spoke. "The MALP said –"

"Check again, McKay," John ordered firmly. He knew it was stupid – that it was obvious no one had been here in years – but he couldn't shake a nagging feeling that they were being watched.

Ronon walked forward towards the square, and John followed him at a distance, scanning the area. The buildings stretched back for a distance and stopped at the edge of a forest. John studied the tree-line – there was no one there.

John looked back round at Rodney – he was still trying to undo the strap on his flack vest to get at the lifesigns detector. Rolling his eyes, John started to walk after Ronon.

John stopped. The sun was shining brightly and glinting off something on the floor to his left. Whatever it was, it was made of a shiny material and was half-hidden under some brambles.

John walked over to the brambles and kicked them aside. It was some kind of device, and looked like it was made of the same kind of metal found in many places in Atlantis.

It was small, about the size of his hand, and oval-shaped. There were two round dials on the front and a row of five small lights. One of them was shining blue.

John bent down and picked up whatever it was. It was surprisingly light, and felt cool despite having been out in the sun. John held it in both hands and stared at it. He had no idea what it was.

He could feel that the metal on either end of the device weren't attached to the rest – they were buttons. They probably opened it up. John pressed on the buttons on either end.

The one light that had been lit suddenly shone about five times brighter.

John blinked. "Woah," he said. He looked over his shoulder. "Hey, McKay, come look…"

John's voice trailed off. Rodney seemed to be growing fainter, and was looking at John with panic written all over his face. John looked round at Ronon – he was also growing fainter, and John could only just make out him taking out his gun and pointing it at him with a yell.

Then everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

_**SPOILERS **_up to the end of series 3, and for series 4.

_**Chapter Two**_

The first sense John regained was his hearing. He could hear dozens of voices talking at once.

Then the light rushed back in again and John was blinking sunlight out of his eyes. He reached up to push his sunglasses further up his nose and then froze, one hand in front of his face. His other hand still gripped the device he had found.

John stared.

He hadn't moved – well, he didn't think he had. There was the market square in front of him, surrounded by buildings. He turned around – the stargate stood at the bottom of the hill behind him, and the path he had walked up still wound its way up the side of it.

However, Rodney and Ronon were nowhere in sight. And that was the least of John's problems.

There were people everywhere. It was as though the planet had just come to life around him. The buildings were standing tall and whole, and many had smoke escaping from their chimneys. Instead of piles of wood and cloth there were stalls in the square, and people were milling around them, looking at the merchandise for sale. There were no brambles overgrowing things.

John looked down at the device in his hand. Not a single light was shining.

"Oh no you _don't_," he said, shaking it. Nothing happened. He placed his thumbs over the buttons on either end, but stopped before pressing them again. He was pretty sure it was out of power. Besides, what if it did something else?

John slid the device into his pocket and activated his radio. "McKay, Ronon, come in," he said. There was no reply – only static.

"This is Sheppard, come _in_," he repeated. Nothing.

John turned off the radio. It was a long shot anyway.

He looked around again. None of the people were paying any attention to him, for which he was grateful. He didn't feel like explaining how he'd suddenly appeared out of thin air.

John walked across the square, looking everywhere he went for some indication of where he was. It was obviously the same planet but… well, _alive_. Was he in another reality – one where it hadn't been attacked by the Wraith? Maybe he had gone back in time to before it happened.

In which case, John had to expect a Wraith attack at any moment. And judging by the ruins he'd been standing amongst a few minutes ago, it was a bad one.

John reached the first line of stalls and walked in between them. They curved slightly, and John realised as he walked that the stalls were laid out in some kind of complicated circular formation. But that was completely uninteresting compared to what was being sold.

One stall sold jewellery. The one beside it sold cloth. Several sold spices in great crystal containers, while another sold crystals. There were stalls that sold tools, stalls that sold medicines, clothes already made, shoes, fruit and vegetables, some very strange looking fish.

It was amazing – John had never seen a market like it. This couldn't be merchandise from just one world. It looked like traders from all over Pegasus were buying and selling in this square.

John was just trying to figure out how to get out of the maze of stalls when out of the corner of his eye he noticed a blue light. He did a double take and stared, unable to believe his luck.

It was exactly the same as the device that had brought him here, except this one had three blue lights still shining. John hurried over to the stall and picked it up.

The stall owner, sensing a sell, walked up to him. "Beautiful, isn't it?" He said with an oily smile.

John shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "It's alright," he said. "What is it?"

"Ancestor technology," said the stall owner. "They used it to tell the time."

John gave him a look. "Well, _we_ can't use it for that," he said.

The stall owner gave him another smile. "Perhaps not, but who doesn't want to own something made by the Ancestors?" He asked.

"How much do you want for it?" John asked casually.

The stall owner looked down at John's P-90, and John gripped the gun and glared at him. "Not a chance," he said.

The stall owner shrugged and looked back up at John. "What do you have?" He asked.

Luckily Atlantis teams were prepared for this kind of thing, and everyone going off-world had some coins with them. They were Earth coins and completely worthless in Pegasus, but shiny went a long way.

John dug into his flack vest and pulled out a handful of change. "I've got these," he said, holding up the coins for the man to see. It amounted to a few dollars.

The man's eyes lit up, but he quickly schooled his expression to one of indifference. "And?" He asked, folding his arms.

John narrowed his eyes at him and put the coins on the stall. He reached behind him and removed his dagger from the back of his belt.

"Here, I bet you've never seen a dagger like this before," he said, handing it over.

The stall-owner took it, looking impressed. "You're right, I haven't," he said, looking closely at the plastic handle. He nodded. "Alright, it's yours," he said.

John quickly pocketed the device. "Thanks," he said. Then he picked a direction and hurried away before the guy could change his mind.

So, he had an active device. Now he just had to figure out how the thing worked. And that was definitely easier said than done.

John managed to free himself from the stalls and found himself a little further along the crest of the hill, away from the path to the stargate. Here the ground rose a few feet until some trees marked the summit of the hill.

One tree stood a little further down the hill, away from the others, and John walked over to it. It was a good place to watch from, and he needed to think.

John flopped down onto the grass and rested his back against the tree, surveying the scene in front of him. There were so many people milling around the stalls and going about their business – none of them paid him any attention. One man was pushing a small wooden cart piled high with vegetables. Two others were loudly haggling over the price of farming tools at a nearby stall. Three young children were about ten feet away, laughing and wrestling with a girl a little older than them – about fifteen – who was also laughing.

John rested his head back against the trunk of the tree and looked away, frowning. He couldn't watch the children playing, so carefree – he found it hard enough to watch the people in the market as well. All he could think about was how the place would look when it was culled.

_If _it was culled. He could be wrong – he didn't know for certain that he had been sent back in time. It was entirely possible that he was in another reality. Either way, he had to work out how to get back.

"You look troubled."

John looked up sharply. A man was standing next to him, looking down at him with a kind look on his face. He had shoulder-length blond hair which was streaked with silver, and sparkling brown eyes framed by laughter lines.

John stood up. The man was about the same height as him, but standing a little up the slope, so John still had to look up at him. The man looked at him with a mild curiosity, and the same look of kindness John had first noticed.

John hesitated for a moment before deciding it couldn't hurt to have some help. "I am," he answered the man truthfully. "A bit –" he added hastily.

The man smiled ever-so-slightly and waited for John to continue. John looked away from him, his eyes sweeping over the market again, before looking back at the man.

"This might be a bit of an odd question, but… where are we?" He asked, feeling like a complete idiot.

The man didn't laugh. He didn't even look surprised. "The planet is called Tabol," he answered simply. "The market is known as the Tabol Circle. This is your fist time here?"

"Yeah," John answered.

The man smiled again. "Where are you from?" He asked.

John hesitated again. Saying Atlantis seemed like a very bad idea, and he didn't think revealing the existence of Earth would be very smart either, at least until he found out _what the hell was going on_.

"Very, _very_ far away," he settled for.

The man raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips, looking at him thoughtfully. For some reason, John didn't find his scrutiny intrusive or even disconcerting. The only thing John registered was a vague sense of recognition that he couldn't quite understand.

"My daughter and I are about to eat," the man said. "Would you like to join us?"

John knew he should probably say no – he didn't know anything about this man. However, if he was going to figure out a way of getting back, it might be worthwhile to open a dialogue with some of the people here. Maybe one of them would be able to help him.

"Thanks, that would be great," he answered, offering a small smile. "I'm Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard."

The man nodded happily. "I am Tagan Emmagen."

John's smile disappeared from his face and his eyes all but bugged out of his head. Luckily, Tagan turned away just as he said his name and didn't notice John's reaction. Tagan raised his hand and waved, and John followed his gaze almost reluctantly. He knew what he was about to see, and knew that he should turn tail and run while he still had a chance.

This could not be happening.

But it was. The girl who had been playing with the other children was disentangling herself from them, still laughing, and walking up the slope towards them. She was about a foot shorter than John knew she would become, and as skinny as a beanpole. Her honey-blonde hair was hanging down to the middle of her back in waves, and she was wearing a set of Athosian clothes similar to what John had seen many Athosian children wearing in the past.

He was looking at a fifteen-year-old Teyla Emmagan.

This was _not_ good. John couldn't even _begin_ to list the ways in which this was _not good_.

Teyla reached Tagan's side and he turned to face John again, standing behind Teyla with his hands on her shoulders. "This is my daughter, Teyla," he said. "This is Lieutenant Colonel…?"

John wrenched his eyes away from Teyla's face and looked back up at Tagan, realising with a start that Teyla had his eyes. "Er… John Sheppard," he said.

Tagan smiled again. "Forgive me – you have a rather long name," he said.

John's eyes flickered down to look at Teyla again, completely of their own volition. "Yeah – um, you can call me John," he said, forcing himself to look at Tagan again.

Tagan nodded.

"Hello," said Teyla. Her voice was higher than John was used to. He looked at her again. She was smiling widely at him.

"Hi," he said.

"Is that a weapon?"

"What?" John frowned in confusion, and then realised she was looking at his P-90. "Oh – yeah. Yeah it is."

Teyla looked back up at him, excitement shining on her young face. "For killing Wraith?" She asked.

"Teyla!" Tagan reprimanded, rolling his eyes. John, however, couldn't help smiling at her innocent curiosity.

"It's killed a few," John told her. Teyla grinned at him.

Tagan shook Teyla's shoulders slightly and let go of her. He nodded at John again. "Perhaps you can tell us about that over lunch," he said. He looked down at his daughter. "Is lunch ready, Teyla?"

She nodded. "Yes, father," she said.

"Good."

John's shock and discomfort was momentarily overcome by the thought of eating something Teyla had cooked, and his stomach churned at the memory of a stew by her he had once eaten. He was sure that as a young girl she was an even _worse_ cook than she was as a grown woman.

"Where are you from, John?"

John snapped back to the present and saw that Teyla and Tagan had started to walk, and were waiting for him to follow them. He picked up his heels and did so.

Tagan started to walk again, but Teyla lagged behind slightly, waiting for John to catch up. She was looking at him, waiting for his answer, and John decided that he should stick with what he told her father.

"Very far away," he told her. "You won't have heard of it."

Teyla looked at him thoughtfully but didn't push the subject. "Did you come here to trade?" She asked instead.

John hesitated for a moment. "No – I'm just… exploring," he answered.

"Exploring?" Teyla asked, looking a little confused.

"Yeah, you know – just seeing what's out there…" John replied.

Teyla smiled at him again. It was quite strange, how much she smiled. Not that Teyla never smiled in the future or anything, but definitely not as much as she did as a kid.

There was a point. This meeting – weird though it was – at least proved that John had been sent back in time. So, he knew where he was and what had happened, he just didn't know _how_.

Or how to get back.

"But what about your home? And your family? Do they go exploring with you?" Teyla asked. Aside from the smiling, she was also a lot more curious as a kid. And more talkative.

John answered carefully. "Er… no… I usually go exploring with some friends of mine, but we've got separated," he said.

Teyla looked at him in concern. "Are they alright?" She asked.

John sure as hell hoped so. "I think so," he said.

"Do you not know where they are?"

John's lips twitched into a smile. She was _really _talkative. "I know where they are," he said. "I just need to work out how to get back to them. It's a little complicated."

That was an understatement. It obviously had something to do with the device he had picked up, and he had bought a new one which looked like it was active, so hopefully it would be able to send him back. But he had no idea how to set it so it sent him back to his right time, and he wasn't going to start playing around with the thing. It could send him back even further if he wasn't careful.

Where was Rodney when you needed him?

Lunch, as it turned out, had not been prepared by Teyla, for which John was very grateful. He followed Tagan and Teyla into what seemed to be some kind of inn, where quite a few people were gathering to eat lunch. They stood in line and each got a portion of food, which looked a lot like vegetable stir-fry to John. It tasted like it too.

John expected Tagan to grill him while they ate, about who he was and why he was on Tabol. But he did nothing of the sort. Instead, Tagan told John about himself and Teyla, telling him that they were from a planet named Athos and that he, Tagan, was the leader of the Athosians.

John tried to act as though this was new information.

Tagan also told John that he came to the Tabol Circle several times a year to trade, and that the past few times he had brought Teyla with him, to teach her the secrets of trade and diplomacy. Teyla smiled serenely and sat up straighter whenever Tagan spoke about her, and it was obvious that all she wanted to do was make her father proud.

John felt immeasurably sad watching the two of them together. They were obviously incredibly close, and though John didn't know how or when it happened, he did know Tagan was going to die.

Teyla mentioned her father very rarely, and John was beginning to understand why. She must miss him a lot.

John had never asked Teyla about Tagan, and was beginning to regret it – it would have helped him now to have at least a _little_ knowledge of the man.

On the rare occasions Teyla had mentioned him or he had given him any thought, John had imagined a male version of Teyla, and slightly older. He wasn't too far off – Tagan reminded John a lot of Teyla. He exuded the same inner-calm that she did, the same sense of being in perfect control. John had got his looks completely wrong, though – apart from her eyes Teyla obviously took after her mother.

And looking at her squirming around in her seat and smiling around at everyone who entered the room, she hadn't quite mastered the inner-calm thing yet.

Once they had finished eating, Tagan told Teyla to go and look round the market. Teyla seemed quite unwilling to go, but did not disobey her father. She gave John a lingering, curious look as she left, and he had a feeling that she would have plenty more questions for him if they met again before he left.

It soon became clear to John that Tagan had sent Teyla away for a reason – his grilling was about to begin.

"So, John, how did you come to be on Tabol?" Tagan asked.

John sat back in his chair and studied Tagan carefully. The man was looking at him as though he wasn't really paying attention, but John could see that he was in fact studying him closely. Tagan was a smart man, and obviously pretty experienced in finding out information.

John considered telling him the truth. He knew he could trust him – well, he didn't _know_, but he was pretty sure – he was Teyla's father, after all, and the Athosians spoke well of him. But telling Tagan the truth might lead to all kinds of trouble for John. And for Teyla.

Still, the one thing John was sure of was that he needed help finding out how to work the device that he had bought. He decided that he _would _tell Tagan the truth – well, a watered-down version of it.

"I don't know," he said after a moment's pause. John looked round the inn. Most of the patrons had left after eating, eager to get back to the market. They were sitting in a corner, quite isolated from the rest of the room.

"I was with my team, and I found this," John said, reaching into his pocket and placing the defunct device on the table. Tagan glanced at it, and then looked back at John, waiting for him to continue.

"I picked it up, and I pressed the buttons on it," John said. "It lit up and the next thing I knew I was standing in the middle of the market."

Tagan's eyes widened and he looked back down at the device.

"This one's obviously out of power," John said. "But I found this one for sale in the market, and I bought it." He produced the other device and placed it next to the other. The three lights on it were still shining dimly.

"Do you not know what planet you and your… team… were on?" Tagan asked after a moment.

John could see a flaw in his story. "Um, no," he said stupidly.

Tagan leant forward, still looking at the devices. "Well, I have a little experience with transportation devices –" he said, reaching out to pick up the active device.

"Woah – don't – " John exclaimed, lunging forward to stop him picking it up. Horrible images of Tagan being sent into the past, leaving John stuck in this time with no way back, and having to explain things to Teyla flooded his mind.

Tagan narrowed his eyes at John – not out of anger, but out of curiosity. John sighed.

"It's not a transportation device," he said. "It's… it sent me back in time. I was on Tabol already when I found it, and it sent me back in time."

Tagan stared at him. "Are you certain?" He asked.

John gave a short, humourless chuckle. "Positive," he said.

Tagan continued to stare at him. John shifted uncomfortably. For the first time since meeting him, he felt like Tagan was sizing him up. And looking at his thoughtful expression, he got the feeling that Tagan knew more about him than he had told him.

John cleared his throat. "Listen, do you know anyone who might know anything about this kind of technology?" He asked.

Tagan sat back in his chair again, still staring at John. "Not specifically," he said.

John tried not to let his disappointment show. "How about _un_specifically?" He asked.

Tagan smiled slightly. "Well, there is one man who may be able to help you," he said. "He comes to Tabol to trade quite frequently. His name is Davos."

John's head dropped forward and his eyebrows shot up as he stared at Tagan. "Davos the _seer_?" He asked.

For the first time since they met Tagan looked surprised. "People know Davos as a wise man," he said. "Very few know of his gift."

_Well, he came to Atlantis__ and told us our city was going to be destroyed._

John decided that once again a watered-down version of the truth was called for. "I've met him, in the future," he said simply.

"Well, he may be able to help you," said Tagan.

It was as good an idea as any. Davos had certainly known a lot about lots of things. And it was another person John knew of that he could trust.

John nodded. "Okay. Do you know when he'll get here?" He asked.

"The day after tomorrow," replied Tagan.

John groaned and sat back. "Of _course_," he said. Typical. Two days stuck in the past waiting to see Davos, who might not even be able to help him.

John shrugged. "I guess I'll wait, then," he said.

"You may stay with us," Tagan said.

John raised his eyebrows. He'd heard of hospitality, but this was unbelievable. John shifted uncomfortably again as he imagined living under the same roof with Tagan Emmagen and a teenage Teyla. What if he said something about their futures? He could cause a major time paradox. He'd seen _Back to the Future_.

"Thanks, Tagan, but I couldn't –"

Tagan raised an eyebrow at him, and for a moment looked so much like Teyla that John did a double-take.

"Where else will you go?"

John opened his mouth to speak but found himself short of anything to say in reply. The truth was, he _didn't _have anywhere else to go. Atlantis was out of the question – it was lying dormant at the bottom of the ocean. There was nowhere else.

"Okay, Tagan, thanks."


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter's really long – sorry, it just kind of got away from me!

I hope I got the military ranks right – if there are any glaring mistakes, please let me know!

_**Chapter Three**_

Staying with Tagan and Teyla was not nearly as bad as John had expected. Tagan had lots of meetings with traders set up during the afternoon and so John didn't see him or Teyla again until the evening. Instead he spent the day wandering around the market, having a closer look at all the merchandise. There was so much for sale, and the whole place was so incredibly vibrant and alive.

It made John sick to the stomach to think of what would happen to it. He wondered if he should warn someone that the Wraith were going to destroy the place. But who? And why would they believe him, a complete stranger? Besides, he didn't have a clue _when _the culling would take place – probably many years from now.

John met up with Tagan and Teyla again at the inn where they had had lunch. It seemed to be the main meeting place for meals for the people in the town, and the place was very crowded.

Tagan didn't say anything to John about the devices or about being from the future, for which he was grateful. He didn't want to have to deflect questions for the whole night.

Tagan and Teyla were staying in a small, one-storey house on the edge of the town, quite near the edge of the forest. It was just two rooms, both of which had two low-slung wooden beds in them. It was like the Pegasus version of a motel room.

Tagan and Teyla retired to one of the rooms, and John lay on one of the beds in the other, his flack jacket removed and propped up against the wall next the bed. He still held his P-90 in his hand. He could hear Tagan snoring softly from the other room, and the familiar sound of Teyla's steady breathing, but felt absolutely no inclination to sleep. To his internal clock it was only early evening, and besides, his mind was buzzing with unanswerable questions.

How was he going to keep this up, this pretence that he didn't know who Teyla was? What if he let something slip and completely messed up the timeline? What would he do if he couldn't get back? He'd have to hide out somewhere for however many years and then go back to Atlantis. By which time he'd be old. And where the hell would he hide?

This was just stupid. His only hope was that Davos could tell him how to use the device.

John took the active device out of his pocket and checked that the lights were still glowing. It was too dark to see the dials properly, and John thought about using the flashlight on his P-90 to study it, but decided against it. He should save the flashlight for a time when he might really need it – he could study the device in the morning when it was light. It wasn't like he'd have anything better to do.

John awoke the next day to the sound of Tagan and Teyla talking in the other room. Sunlight was slanting through the small window. John felt as though he had only had a few hours' sleep – and he probably had – but he swung his legs out of bed and started to put on his flack jacket.

"I am sorry, Teyla, but you know there is nothing I can do," came the sound of Tagan's voice, louder than before. A moment later he appeared in the doorway to John's room.

"Ah, good, you are awake," said Tagan, smiling at John. John couldn't help but notice that the smile was slightly strained, and wondered what he and Teyla had been talking about.

"Good morning," John said.

"Good morning, John," Teyla said as she bounded into the room. It was like watching a cricket jump around, she was so full of energy.

"Would you like a Floot Cake?" Teyla asked, walking over to him. "Charin made them – she is famous for her cooking, they are very good."

John knew they were very good. He took one of the proffered cakes and smiled at Teyla. "Thanks," he said.

Teyla smiled back at him and started eating one of the cakes herself. There was a moment's silence, and then Teyla spoke again, crumbs flying everywhere.

"Father, can you not –?"

"_No_, Teyla," Tagan said, gently but firmly. He looked at John, who was trying not to appear too curious.

"I have a meeting with Filius of Garkos," he told John. "Filius does not like to conduct business in the presence of children."

John looked at Teyla. She was looking _very _sulky. John had to hide a smile.

"Perhaps next time we come to Tabol, Filius will allow you to come to the meeting," Tagan said to Teyla. "But for now we must respect his wishes. He is a very important trading partner."

"I know," said Teyla in a low voice. She went back to eating her cake.

Tagan smiled at her. "I am sure you will be able to occupy yourself until the midday meal," he said. "Perhaps look around the Circle?"

"I did that yesterday," Teyla answered glumly. Then she brightened up. "I will go and pick sun fruits…"

Tagan shook his head. "Teyla, you know I do not like you going into the woods alone," he said.

"But Father –"

"I am sorry Teyla, but no."

"John will come with me," said Teyla.

John almost choked on the piece of cake he was swallowing. Luckily neither Teyla nor Tagan noticed.

"_Teyla_!"

But Teyla turned to John, her eyes alight with excitement. "Please John? Sun fruits are delicious, but they do not grow on Athos," she said. "And it is just the season for them…"

John stared down at Teyla. Chaperoning her in a forest while she picked fruit was probably not the best way to avoid messing up the timeline. However, John found saying no to Teyla difficult at the best of times, and she'd never looked at him so hopefully and excitedly before, her emotions shining through her face.

It almost made John sad to think that one day she would be so good at masking her true feelings.

"Sure, I'll come with you," he said.

Teyla grinned and bounced on her feet, looking at her father.

"John, you really –"

John cut Tagan off with a shake of his head. "No, Tagan, it's alright," he said. "I don't have anything else to do."

Tagan looked at him in silence for a moment, and once again John had the feeling he was being studied intently. Tagan looked at Teyla, who was beaming at her father, and then back at John. He sighed. "Alright," he said. "Thank you John."

Half an hour later John and Teyla were striding towards the forest, and John was much less worried about accidentally giving something away about the future. He wasn't sure he'd actually be able to say _anything_, at the rate Teyla was talking.

John knew that there were dozens – hundreds – of Athosians, so there was no way Teyla would be able to tell him the life story of every single one of them. But it seemed she was going to make a valiant attempt anyway. John nodded at appropriate moments, but was quite content to just let her talk.

One of the first things John had understood about Teyla was her love for her people, and this love shone through what she said. As an adult her love for them was evident in her actions – in her protectiveness. As a child it was evident in her words.

Listening to Teyla talk, full of so much childish innocence, John felt that he was gaining an insight into the woman he knew. The way she spoke about the Athosians – she sounded like she was talking about her family. About her brothers and sisters and her aunts and uncles. And John was sure that was how she felt about them all.

But he knew that when she became the leader, things would change for her. She would be the head of the family, and somehow removed from them all. Her love for them would remain but her responsibility for them would overshadow it.

John felt the same way about the expedition. He cared for a lot of them, and there were lots of the men under his command that he felt he could have been good friends with, in another life. But he needed the distance he maintained. He needed it to continue to keep them safe.

At least John hadn't known those people all his life, and hadn't forged bonds with them before the burden of leadership fell on him.

Poor Teyla.

They entered the forest and John immediately started scanning the area for any activity.

"What are you doing?"

John blinked and looked back down at Teyla. She had stopped walking, and was looking at him curiously.

"I'm checking the area," John told her. "Just seeing if anyone's out there."

"No one is here," Teyla said, clearly finding the idea preposterous.

John raised an eyebrow. "How can you be so sure?" He asked.

"Did you not notice the way the forest became still when we entered?" Teyla asked. "The animals that live amongst these trees are shy – as soon as anyone comes near they hide. If someone were here already, the forest would have already been still."

John stared at Teyla in silence for a few seconds. He had just about got used to her being a child and so different from the woman she would become, but now he could see that in some ways she wasn't so different at all.

She still knew way more than he ever would about this galaxy.

"Okay," John said.

Teyla smiled and started to walk again. John followed her.

The forest was really quite beautiful, and obviously very old. The trees were huge – as tall and thick as redwoods, but the colour of ash trees. Emerald green moss carpeted the ground between the trees, and sunlight filtered between the leaves high above their heads, casting dappled patterns on their path.

"The sun fruits grow a little further in," Teyla said.

'A little further in' turned out to be a few minutes' walk away. They reached an area of the forest where the trees grew a little closer together, and some kind of vine wound its way round the trunks. What John assumed were sun fruits grew on the vines.

They looked a lot like peaches, except they were the size of oranges, and a closer colour to them as well. They were a very deep yellow – John could see why they were called sun fruits.

Teyla plucked one of the fruits and bit into it. Pink juice spurted everywhere, most of it running down Teyla's chin. John couldn't help laughing.

Teyla grinned at him as she wiped her chin on her sleeve. She nodded at the fruit. "Try one."

John obediently reached out and plucked one of the sun fruits. The skin felt a lot like a peach, but John hoped it didn't taste like one – he had never liked peaches much.

John bit carefully into the fruit, trying to avoid a juice disaster like Teyla's. He failed miserably. The fruit seemed to be just full of juice, which escaped in every direction as he bit into the skin. Like Teyla, most of it ran down his chin.

John wiped the juice away and chewed thoughtfully, trying to retain some of his dignity. To his surprise the sun fruit tasted almost exactly like raspberries, and the inside of the fruit was a deep pink colour.

"Ish nishe," John said thickly.

Teyla giggled and nodded her agreement as she kept eating her own sun fruit. Once she had finished she started to walk from tree to tree, picking them. She only picked the largest fruits, which were the deepest yellow. John guessed these were the ripest, and followed her example. Teyla had brought a small canvas sack with her, and they put the fruit they picked into the sack.

Once they had collected quite a few, Teyla sat down in a patch of dappled sun and started to eat them. John sat down a few feet away, with his back against a tree.

"Would you like another sun fruit, John?" Teyla asked him.

John shook his head. "No, I'm alright, thanks," he replied.

Teyla frowned slightly, and John thought for a moment that she was offended he wouldn't eat more fruit.

"Why do we not call you Lieutenant?" Teyla asked, dispelling John's suspicion. "Why John?"

"John's my name," he told her. "John Sheppard. Lieutenant Colonel is a rank… which is kind of a title. If you called me that you'd have to say Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard, which is a bit much."

Teyla raised her eyebrows. "Are you in an army?" She asked him.

John was a little surprised, but then reasoned that there were quite a few worlds in Pegasus that had armies – Sateda and the Genii for example.

"Yeah, kind of," John answered. He wasn't about to explain the concept of an airforce to Teyla.

"I have never heard of a Lieutenant Colonel before," said Teyla.

John shrugged. "Well, like I said, I'm from somewhere very far away," he said simply.

"Is Lieutenant Colonel a high rank?"

The Teyla of Many Questions was obviously putting in an appearance again.

"Er, yeah. Pretty high," said John. "There's only five – well, six – ranks above it."

"What are they?"

John rested his head back against the tree as he reeled them off. "Colonel is the next one. Then Brigadier General, then Major General, then Lieutenant General, and then there's the General Air Force Chief of Staff. Only one of them. Then there's General of the Air Force, but only in wartime."

"Will you be one of those one day?"

John's head came back up and he blinked at Teyla. "A general?" He asked.

Teyla nodded. "Yes."

"Well… probably not," said John. He'd never really given the idea of becoming a general much thought – it was always so far away, and after Afghanistan…

"I don't know if I'd want to be," he said.

Teyla looked surprised. "Why?" She asked.

"Because Generals are kind of more on the administration side," John said. Teyla looked confused, and John tried to explain.

"They don't really join in the action anymore – they order everyone else in," he said. Teyla nodded like she understood. John shrugged.

"I don't know," he said. "Maybe when I'm older. But I don't think anyone would make me a General anyway."

"Why not?"

John wasn't going to explain that to her. "Er… I just… don't think they would," he said. "It's hard to explain."

"Do you have a General in charge of you?" Teyla asked now.

"No – well, yes," John said. "Kind of. The Generals I report to are far away."

Teyla raised her eyebrows. "So you are the leader of the army where you are from?" She asked.

John thought about Colonel Carter – she had done her best not to undermine his authority on Atlantis, and on the whole it had worked. She focused more on the administration side of the city and left the military organisation to John.

"Yeah – I have been for a little while," John answered. Teyla looked a little surprised, and he guessed it was because he had just reeled off all the ranks higher than his.

"It doesn't matter _what _rank you are, it just depends on who's the highest," he told her. "I was only a Major – the rank before Lieutenant Colonel - when I became the military leader of A – of where I live, which really isn't a high rank."

Teyla nodded. "How long have you been… military leader?" She asked.

"A few years," John answered. He hoped the questions would stop soon – he was trying to be diplomatic in his answers, but was worried he'd let something important slip. He couldn't very well refuse to answer her questions, because that would make her suspicious.

Luckily, Teyla seemed to have run out of questions for the moment. John rested his head back against the tree again, thinking that maybe he had said too much as it was.

John suddenly realised that Teyla – the Teyla in the future – had never asked him about military ranks. When he had told her his name was Major John Sheppard she had accepted it completely and hadn't confused his rank with his name at all.

A conversation John had had with Teyla came to mind suddenly – a conversation they had had just before their very first team briefing had started.

"_I am surprised you will be a member of one of these teams, Major," Teyla said._

"_Why?" John asked._

"_Are you not the military leader of the city now? Will you not be very busy?" _

"_Sure, I guess," said John. "But I'll have time to go off-world, it's fine. Besides, I don't want to have to sit behind a desk and send people out to fight like some fat-cat general."_

_Teyla turned away, but John had seen her smiling at something. Elizabeth walked in and started the meeting, and John forgot about Teyla's secretive smile. _

John realised for the first time that since this girl sitting next to him was going to grow up to be the Teyla he knew, she would have this memory of meeting him. When he had walked into her tent on Athos three years ago, she had known who he was.

And she hadn't said anything! For _three years_ Teyla had pretended they had never met before.

If it wasn't for the memory of that smile, John would think that she had forgotten him.

Unless that smile had been about something else, and the Teyla he knew _hadn't_ met him before. Maybe he was completely changing the timeline just by being here, and when – if – he got back to the future everything would be different.

"Is it difficult?"

John snapped out of his thoughts and looked back at Teyla, who was staring back at him.

"What?" He asked. Had he said something out loud?

Teyla pulled up some of the moss by her feet. For the first time she looked a little uncomfortable. "Being the leader," she said quietly.

John stared at Teyla. She was staring intently at the ground, and looked slightly pink, as though embarrassed she had asked. Once again John was reminded of the responsibility she was being brought up to, and how young she was.

He thought about lying, about telling her how easy it was. But he dismissed the idea immediately – Teyla deserved the truth.

"Sometimes," he told her. "Sometimes you have to make really hard decisions, ordering your people into danger and knowing they might not come back."

Teyla raised her eyes and looked up at him.

"You always try to do what's right for everyone, to try and keep them safe, but it doesn't always work," John said. His mind was flooded with images of the people he hadn't been able to protect – Colonel Sumner, Lieutenant Ford, Dr Beckett, Elizabeth…

Even Teyla.

John sighed. "Yeah, sometimes it's difficult."

Teyla drew her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on top of them. There was a moment's silence.

"I am scared of becoming a leader," she said after a little while. She looked and sounded completely ashamed of herself.

John's mouth dropped open slightly, but luckily Teyla wasn't looking at him. He wasn't sure what surprised him more – that Teyla had fears about taking over from her father, or that she was _telling_ him.

John decided it didn't matter; he just had to say something. "Why?" He asked gently.

Teyla didn't answer for a few seconds, and John started to think she hadn't heard him. Then she shifted slightly and turned to face him more, though she still stared at the ground.

"My father is so… in control," Teyla said. "He always knows what to do, and how to help and protect our people." She paused. "I just do not think I have the strength."

John stared at her. He had never heard anything that was further from the truth, and the temptation to tell her so was strong.

"Teyla…"

Teyla looked up at John, her eyes burning with the strength she didn't know she possessed.

"I love my people," she said. "I would do anything for them."

John nodded mutely. Teyla blinked, and she looked worried and ashamed again.

"But… I worry that one day something will happen and I will not know what to do, and I will fail them," Teyla said. She rested her chin back on her knees.

John clenched his fists and swore silently that the moment he got back to the future he was going to double their efforts to find the Athosians.

Teyla sat completely still, looking impossibly lost and young. John tried to think of something to say that would make her feel better.

"Teyla… it's not… it's not about having the strength to never make mistakes," John said falteringly. "Things go wrong, no matter how strong you are."

Teyla raised her eyes to look at him again, but she didn't say anything.

"It's about doing your best to make the right decisions when things _do_ go wrong," said John. "And if you love your people… you'll be fine."

Teyla narrowed her eyes at him in her familiar thoughtful expression. "Really?" She asked.

John nodded. "Really," he said firmly. "Now give me another one of those sun fruits."

Teyla smiled and threw one of the fruits to him.

To John's relief their serious conversation was over. He was surprised just how disconcerting he found it to listen to Teyla talk about her fears – he was so used to her strength and poise. Even when he had found her on the balcony after her encounter with the Wraith Queen a few weeks before, she had been upset by what had happened – or had almost happened – to her son, but she had still radiated that inner-strength which was so essentially _hers_.

Their conversation didn't seem to have upset Teyla at all – she spent the next hour climbing trees and looking for gawins (John caught a glimpse of one – it was like a tiny rabbit with no ears). After a while they collected the sack full of sun fruits and headed back to the town.

John followed Teyla round the market as she gave away more than half the fruit to the people she knew. Then they went to meet Tagan for lunch.

Much later, John was sitting outside the house they were staying in. The sun was just beginning to set and he was expecting Tagan and Teyla back from another one of their trade meetings soon.

It was the first chance John had had to sit down and have a look at the devices in his pockets – he'd spent the last few hours helping a couple of Tagan's friends move their merchandise.

The three lights were still shining on the second device. John put it to one side and looked closely at the first device. The two dials on the front were actually three circles, each incrementally smaller than the last. They looked like each could move separately, and all had tiny markings etched onto them. John squinted, trying to see them clearly, but it was difficult in the dying light.

Deciding that he could risk a few minutes, John reached for his P-90 to use the flashlight, but stopped when he heard footsteps approaching.

It was Tagan.

"Hello," said Tagan. He sat down a few feet away from John and looked at the devices. "Do you know how to work them yet?"

"No," said John, putting the device back into his pocket. "Hopefully Davos will be able to shed some light on it."

Tagan nodded. "Teyla is talking to a friend of hers – she will meet us for dinner," he said.

John nodded. "Okay," he said. He picked up the other device and put into his other pocket.

"You know Teyla."

John's eyes widened and he turned to look at Tagan, who was once again staring at him intensely, as though he was reading his mind.

John was confused. "What?" He asked.

Tagan kept staring. "In the future, where you come from, you know Teyla," he said.

John's jaw dropped slightly. What had he said? How did he know? He couldn't – could he? "I – what makes you say that?" He asked, trying to sound casual.

"I am not blind, John," said Tagan. "I saw the way you looked at her when I told you her name."

Damn. John didn't think Tagan had noticed his shock.

John stared at Tagan, his mind racing. He could deny it – he _should_ deny it. But he doubted that Tagan would believe him. The most he could really do was damage control.

"We've met," John said simply.

"But you have not met me?"

John looked at Tagan in surprise. "No," he said. "I've heard about you, though."

"Really?"

"Well… yeah," said John. "It's… Teyla talks about you. I mean she has. I don't know her that well."

The lie came out easily enough – John just hoped it sounded convincing.

"You do not know her well, but you have heard about me?" Asked Tagan.

Obviously it hadn't been _that _convincing.

"Yeah, well… the first thing she ever said to me was 'I am Teyla Emmagen, daughter of Tagan'," said John. "So I knew your name."

An emotion that John couldn't recognise passed over Tagan's face for a moment, before he smiled slightly and nodded. He paused. "Is she…?"

John shook his head and cut him off. "Tagan, I can't tell you about the future," he said. "You already know way too much."

"Please John, I just want to know that my daughter is happy."

John stared at Tagan, who looked very sad all of a sudden.

"She…" John paused. _Was _Teyla happy? John thought of Teyla by a man who had gone missing with the rest of her people, facing the prospect of having to raise her baby alone – her baby who might be the last of her people. Angry with herself for not having kept her people safe, and not being able to find them.

How could he tell Tagan what he knew deep down – that Teyla _wasn't_ happy?

"She's different," John said eventually. "She's a lot like you."

Tagan narrowed his eyes at John for a moment, and then stood up. "Come, let us go to dinner," he said.

John stood up as well. "Tagan – please don't say anything –" he began, but Tagan turned to him and held up a hand.

"Do not worry, John," he said. "I will not tell Teyla."

John nodded. "Thanks," he said.

Tagan nodded back, and the two of them headed towards the centre of town.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four**_

John stood outside the small wooden house, waiting for Tagan to come back out and tell him that Davos would see him. He couldn't believe the secrecy the man travelled in – he had arrived before sunrise and had been in the house John stood outside since then. Tagan told him that he would be there for only a few hours, and that many people wanted to see him.

It was still very early. Only a few people were awake on Tabol – the market stalls were empty. Tagan had woken up John but Teyla was still fast asleep. Tagan had told him that Teyla had never met Davos, though she had heard of his abilities. That much John had known.

The door opened and Tagan stepped out. He nodded to John.

"He will see you now," he said, much to John's relief.

John thanked Tagan and went into the house. It was smaller than the one they were staying in – just one room. Three people sat in a corner and barely spared John a glance when he entered the room. John had expected to see Linara, but there was no sight of her.

"Good day."

John looked round and saw Davos. He looked almost exactly the same as he did in the future, and John didn't know if it was because he aged really well or if he was prematurely old.

Davos was staring at John, and John knew that this was a man who could actually read his mind. Well, kind of. It was freaky, anyway.

"Hello Davos," John said. "Thanks for seeing me."

Davos leant back in his chair. "Tagan tells me you need my counsel," he said.

"Er… yeah," said John, starting to walk towards him. "I have these devices –"

"You do not like me."

John stopped in his tracks and blinked at the man in front of him. "Huh?"

Davos tilted his head to one side as he continued to stare at John. "You blame me for some bad news I gave you," he said.

John raised his eyebrows. "I don't blame you," he said. It was the truth. It wasn't Davos' fault that Atlantis had been in such danger, and if he hadn't told them…

"You cannot help the way you feel, Colonel Sheppard," said Davos. John didn't ask how he knew his name – either Tagan had told him or he just knew. Davos was like that.

"But I am curious – when did I give you this bad news?"

This was one man that John wasn't scared of confusing or scaring. He shrugged. "You haven't yet."

Davos smiled slightly and nodded. "_Ah_."

John reached into his pockets and pulled out the devices. He held them up so that Davos could see them. "So, I have these devices," he said. "I don't know how to work them, and I was hoping you might."

Davos looked at them in silence for a moment, and then reached out his hand for the active one. As soon as he touched it John knew he had seen something. He froze slightly and his eyes drifted closed for a second. John's heart rose in his chest – Davos had seen how to use the devices. He was going home!

Davos sat back without taking the device, and looked up at John again.

"One tells you where you are," he said. "The other tells you where you are going."

John waited for more. It didn't come.

"That's it?" He asked.

Davos nodded. "That is all you need," he said. He gave him a small smile which John knew meant _I have nothing else to say to you_.

John sighed. "Right," he said. He put the devices back in his pockets and started to leave.

"Colonel Sheppard."

John turned round just before he opened the door. "Yeah?" He asked hopefully.

Davos looked at him thoughtfully. "You cannot leave," he said simply.

Great, he was getting philosophical. John gritted his teeth. "I know that," he said.

Davos nodded. "You must take Teyla back to Athos," he said.

John blinked. "What?"

Davos gave him the smile again. "I look forward to seeing you again, Colonel," he said. "And I am sorry for the news I will give you."

John shook his head slowly. "Bye Davos," he said.

Davos raised a hand in farewell, and John opened the door and left.

John walked through the empty town square, cursing under his breath as he went. This _could not _be happening. He _couldn't_ be stuck here in the past for the rest of his life. Where the hell would he go – what would he do?

John had been so sure that Davos could help him, that he would be able to tell him how to get home. But he had given him precisely _nothing_. 'One tells you where you are, the other tells you where you are going.'

What the hell was that supposed to mean? John wasn't sure what he'd been expecting from Davos, but that particular piece of 'advice' hadn't been it. He hadn't been expecting an Owner's Manual or anything, but he could have… grasped his hand and shown him how to get back home. Or something.

John reached the house, but didn't go in. Instead he flopped down onto the grass just next to the door, his back resting against the wall of the house. He looked towards the empty market.

People were just starting to emerge from the houses, wheeling their carts of merchandise towards the circle and claiming the best stalls. The sun had just come up but already the day was warm, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky – it was going to be a beautiful day.

John couldn't stay here. In the past. He just couldn't.

He missed Atlantis. He hadn't up until now – it had only been a couple of days, after all – but now, with the realisation that he wouldn't be able to get back, he missed it. The city was his home, and knowing that it was there and that he couldn't go back would be torture.

And what about the people? Rodney and Ronon and… and Teyla.

John had tried his very hardest to avoid thinking of Teyla in the last few days. Obviously this was difficult since he was spending quite a lot of time in the company of her younger self, but the Teyla asleep in the house behind him was not the Teyla he knew. He knew that one day she would be, but she wasn't yet.

She wasn't the woman he cared about more than he cared to admit.

And that's what John had been avoiding thinking of. _His _Teyla. The thought of never seeing her again – or lying low for however many years before he could go back – was unbearable. There was no way he could stay on Athos. He wouldn't want to anyway – the thought of being around while Teyla grew up was just way too weird.

He had to get back. He had to. To hell with this – he could figure it out himself.

John pulled out the devices and placed them on the ground in front of him. He sat cross-legged, his elbows on his knees, and stared at them. This was the first time he had really studied them – he had been relying on Davos to tell him how they worked, but that hadn't worked. It was up to him.

He could do this.

Half an hour later, all John had achieved was a sore neck. He turned the active device over in his hands. The back was completely bare, and the front with the lights and dials wasn't much help either. He was pretty sure the lights denoted how much power the device had lefthe knew the buttons on either end activated it.

So what did the dials do?

John looked closely at the dials. Each one was made up of three circles, and there were markings on each circle. Over time, though, many of the markings had been rubbed away.

John squinted harder, and realised that he recognised one of the markings. Actually, he recognised a few of them.

They were Ancient numbers.

So, the dials set the date on the device, and told it where to send you.

"Damn!" John cursed, and let the device fall back onto the grass. That was it – he was screwed. He had _no idea _how to set the dials to get back to where he wanted to get – the device could send him _anywhere_.

_One tells you where you are, the other tells you where you are going._

John's eyes widened as the meaning of Davos' words hit him – he meant _the dials_. One of them showed where he was.

John snatched up the defunct device. If Davos was right – and from experience John was sure that he was – one of the dials on this device was set to where he had been in the future. Where he needed to get back to.

Thanking his lucky stars that he hadn't changed the settings of the dials on the device, John looked closely at the two dials, trying to decide which one was which. In the middle of each dial was etched an Ancient letter – John had no idea what the letter denoted or what sound it made, but he did know which way up the letters had to go.

Which meant he knew which way up the device had to go.

Armed with the knowledge that the Ancients wrote from left to right and his gut instinct, John guessed that the one on the left was the dial that told you where you were.

So, all he had to do was set the active device to match the inert one, but the other way round.

Easier said than done, given that so many of the numbers were rubbed away on both of the devices. Well, all John could do was try.

"Did Davos help?"

John looked up – Tagan had snuck up on him again.

"Yeah, actually," John replied. "I think I've got it."

Tagan nodded. "So you will be leaving," he said.

He didn't sound sad or anything – just matter-of-fact.

"Yeah," said John. He paused, remembering what Davos had said to him about Teyla. He didn't have a clue what the seer was talking about, but Davos didn't say things like that for no reason.

"Actually… when are you going back to Athos?" He asked Tagan.

"Tomorrow morning," answered Tagan, looking at him thoughtfully.

John felt like an idiot, but knew that he had to stay, even if he didn't know why. "I might… I mean, if it's alright…" he said falteringly.

Tagan's eyes narrowed. "Davos said something to you," he said.

"Yeah," said John, glad that Tagan understood. "I just… I think I'll stay until you go back. If that's alright."

Tagan nodded. "Of course," he said.

John nodded and leant back against the wall again, looking past Tagan towards the Circle, where most of the stalls were now set up and trading had begun. Children were running around laughing, and a couple of men were pushing carts in front of them. An image of the body he had seen trapped under the cart rose in John's mind.

John shifted uncomfortably. He had to say something.

"Listen Tagan…" he began. John hesitated. He would have to tell Tagan the truth – there was no other way. "I was here, in the future…"

Tagan looked surprised and sat down on the ground a few feet away. "On Tabol?" He asked.

"Yeah," said John. "It was… I don't know when, but it had been culled."

Tagan's expression didn't change. "You don't know when?" He asked.

"No," John said, shaking his head. "Years ago. I mean, years from _then. _I'd say at least ten years."

Tagan sighed and looked away from John, and watched the people in the Circle for a few moments. He looked back at John. "How far into the future are you from?" He asked.

"Er…" John said stupidly. His only point of reference was Teyla. "Well, Teyla's thirty-two," he told Tagan. That was in Athosian years, which were a few weeks shorter than Earth years. By Earth standards she was only thirty-one.

Tagan looked away again. "Seventeen years," he said quietly.

So, John had been right when he'd pegged Teyla as fifteen. "Right," he said. "So anyway, this place is going to be culled."

The news didn't affect Tagan the way John thought it would. "Many places are culled," he said simply.

"I know," said John. "But this is bad. _Really_ bad."

Tagan gave John a sharp look. "All cullings are bad, John – and you do not know when this will take place," he said.

John leant his head back against the wall. Tagan was right, of course – if they didn't know when the Wraith would attack, how could the people of Tabol escape? And where would they go that was safe?

Tagan sighed again. "However, I will warn someone," he said.

John looked at him and nodded. "Thanks," he said. He didn't feel much better about the fate of the town, but perhaps some people would be able to escape.

Tagan went inside the house to fetch Teyla and the two of them went off to one of their trade meetings as usual. John stayed where he was, examining the dials on the devices.

Even though most of the numbers on the dials were gone, John discovered something very helpful – but very odd – about the devices.

If he looked closely enough, he could see that both were covered in tiny scratches and discolourations, probably because they'd been around for thousands of years. The funny thing, though, was that the scratches on both devices were exactly the same. Apart from the position the dials were set in and the lights, the devices were identical.

John didn't know why this was, and quite frankly he didn't really care. It didn't make it _much _easier, but it helped him to arrange the dials the way he thought they should be.

When it was done, he put them both back in his pockets, resisting the urge to just leave. He was eager to get back to the future, but what Davos had said unnerved him slightly. And anyway, he couldn't leave without saying goodbye to Tagan and Teyla, especially after everything they had done for him.

Especially since he would never see Tagan again.

All Teyla had ever said about her father's death was that 'he was taken by the Wraith'. John didn't know when or where, if he was actually 'taken' to a hive ship or 'taken' as in just killed. He had never pressed Teyla for the details.

John wondered whether he should try and warn Tagan, but decided against it. He had no information to give him other than that he would die at the hands of a Wraith, and Tagan most probably expected that for himself anyway. It was the saddest truth about living in the Pegasus galaxy – most people expected to be killed by the Wraith one day.

Teyla had eaten all the sun fruits they had picked the day before – she really did go through them – so as he had nothing better to do John wandered into the forest and collected some more. He then spent the rest of the morning lying on his back in the grass watching the clouds sail by above his head.

The day was perfect – not too hot, sunny but not glaring, a light breeze. The perfect day for cloud-gazing.

John was bored out of his skull. Damn Davos and his stupid predictions. He just wanted to _leave_.

After a little while John started to doze in the sun, still bored but also oddly peaceful. He had never been much for sunbathing but it was actually quite nice to just relax.

Eventually a shadow fell across John's head and his eyes snapped open to see Teyla looking down at him with an amused expression.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

John sat up quickly and was about to stand up, but Teyla flopped down onto the grass next to him, still looking amused.

"Nothing," he told her, in answer to her question.

"Did you speak to Davos? Did he tell you how to get home? Father says you are not leaving until tomorrow – why?"

John rolled his eyes. "Er… yes, yes, I have a reason but I'm not going to tell you, because you're too nosy," he said.

Teyla frowned. "Nosy? What does that mean?" She asked.

"It's… never mind," he said. "Where's your father?"

"Getting lunch ready," Teyla told him. "Two of our people came to meet us this morning and they gave us some Athosian food – father hates Tabol cuisine, though I quite like it. I told him that we only have to wait another day but he is still very happy to have an Athosian lunch. I hope you like Athosian food – we have turtle leaf and flat bread and more floot cakes – come on!"

John had just about followed this speech, and stood up when she did, shaking his head. They started to walk towards the house.

"Are your people still here?" John asked, worried that it might be someone he knew.

To his relief, Teyla shook her head. "No, they just came to collect some of the things we have traded for," she told him. "Most of what we have traded for will be brought to Athos at a later date, but there were some things we needed to send back."

John nodded. "I went and got some more sun fruits," John told her. "They're in the house."

Teyla beamed at him. "Really? Thank you John," she said.

John shrugged. "No problem," he said, a little embarrassed.

"I told Rysis that I would help him keep his records after lunch – he is not very good at keeping things in order," Teyla said now. John had no idea who Rysis was, but he nodded anyway.

"I do not much like keeping records, but Rysis knows my father, so I told him I would help," said Teyla. John smiled slightly, thinking of how much she would hate writing mission reports in the future – the same kind of reluctance about paperwork was obvious in her tone now.

"I tried to avoid Rysis, because he has not seen me in a long time and I was hoping he would not recognise me, but he did, and he asked some people if I was Tagan's daughter, and they told him yes." She sighed.

John chuckled. "Well, if you go round introducing yourself as 'Teyla Emmagen, daughter of Tagan', you're not really gonna be able to keep it a secret," he said.

Teyla stopped walking, staring up at him. John stopped as well and frowned slightly. She looked completely shocked and maybe a little… hurt?

"What?" Asked John warily.

"I do not introduce myself like that," she said, sounding the most serious he had heard her since he had arrived in the past.

_Oh yes you do_.

Though, now he came to think about it, when they had been walking through the market the day before he had heard Teyla introduce herself several times, and she hadn't mentioned her father's name.

Teyla was still looking up at him, a serious expression on her face. "Athosians only mention the name of their father to a new acquaintance if their father is dead," she said. "And even then, not very often."

"Oh," said John, realising his mistake. His eyes widened when he suddenly remembered his conversation with Tagan, and how sad he had looked after he'd told him how Teyla had introduced herself to him.

"_Oh."_

Oh god, what had he done? He'd as good as told Tagan that he was going to die.

Teyla was still staring at him, and John shifted uncomfortably, thinking fast. "Sorry," he said. "I just… I've heard lots of other people introduce themselves like that, and I didn't realise there were rules about it."

Teyla nodded and, seeming to buy what he'd said as a valid excuse, started to walk again. John followed her, his mind still reeling with what he'd revealed to Tagan. What must the man be thinking?

"Would you like to see the ruins this afternoon?" Teyla said suddenly.

John looked at her in surprise. "Ruins? What ruins?"

Teyla stopped again and pointed towards the forest – but the part of the forest nearer the incline that lead to the stargate.

"There are the ruins of a temple to the Ancestors, and the old steps," she said.

John looked but he couldn't see anything from where they were standing. He gave Teyla a small smile, glad that she wasn't dwelling on what he'd said before. "Sure, why not?" He said.

It would kill a few more hours, anyway. And you never knew what you might find in a pile of Ancient ruins – from his experience, temples _to _the Ancestors tended to be retrofitted out of something built _by _the Ancestors.

John and Teyla reached the house. Tagan was sitting outside, and had spread the food out on the ground picnic-style. There was everything Teyla had said, and even some Athosain tea. Tagan smiled widely when they joined him – John soon realised that this was because of a very successful trading meeting and, as Teyla had said, the prospect of some Athosian food.

John sat down a few feet away from Tagan and eyed the man carefully; searching for any signs that he was thinking on what John had so inelegantly revealed to him. But his smile stayed firmly in place and seemed completely genuine, and John soon relaxed.

John tucked into the food, savouring the experience. He hadn't had Athosian food in months and the familiar tastes just made him all the more eager to get home. Except that the Athosians were still missing in the future.

He really had to do more about that when he got back, he realised again.

"John, would you like the last turtle leaf?" Teyla asked, offering him the plate and pulling him out of his thoughts.

John shook his head. "No, you have it," he said. "I know they're your favourite."

Teyla tilted her head to one side and narrowed her eyes. "How do you know that?" She asked.

_Uh-oh. _John stared at Teyla, at a complete loss for words. He'd done it again.

"Er…"

_Oh yeah. That'll clear up this mess._

"I told him," said Tagan.

Teyla looked at her father curiously for a moment, but seemed to accept his explanation. She took the last turtle leaf with a smile and stood up.

"I will be back soon," she said. "I do not think Rysis' records will take too long." Then she left.

John watched her walk away, and then let out a sigh of relief. Wow. That was a close call. John looked at Tagan, who was looking back at him, one eyebrow raised.

"So, you do not know her well?" He asked.

Deny it. It was all he could do.

John shook his head. "Nope," he said.

Tagan nodded. "Just so you know, John," he said. "I do not believe you."

John could clearly see him smirking slightly, and couldn't help a small smile of his own. "Yeah, I got that," he said.

Tagan stood up, still smiling. "I will see you at dinner, John," he said. He walked away, pausing only to give John a very fatherly pat on the shoulder as he left.

John shook his head and had another gulp of tea.

True to her word, Teyla came back a couple of hours later, and the two of them headed towards the forest again.

The ruins that Teyla had told him about were a little way into the forest and weren't really much of anything. There had obviously once been a platform of some kind, and the bases of a couple of old pillars stood nearby, and everything was covered in moss and the brambles that would one day grow all over the Tabol Circle.

"The steps are over here," Teyla said, pointing towards the hill.

"Steps?"

Teyla nodded. "Yes, they have not been used in many centuries," she said. "Everybody uses the path now, but I think the steps are very beautiful."

John followed Teyla to the summit of the hill, about half a click along the ridge of the hill from the path. Here the hill was taller here but not quite as steep, and a set of wide marble slabs had been set into the side of the slope to make steps. The marble was carved, and moss had grown in the grooves of the carvings, creating green patterns on the steps.

John had to agree that it was quite pretty.

"The carvings tell stories," said Teyla, walking down a couple of the steps. She pointed at the step below where she stood.

"This is a picture of a Wraith culling," she said. She looked up at him, her eyes sad. "So many of the pictures are of the Wraith. They overshadow everything."

John sighed. "Yeah, they do," he said.

He remembered the last time Teyla had shown him pictures of the Wraith culling people, in the cave on Athos. At the time he had not fully appreciated what she had been trying to show him – the idea of something as terrible as the Wraith had seemed unbelievable to John.

He saw now that she had not just been showing John what the Wraith were, but what they meant to the people of Pegasus, and how they dominated their lives.

John joined Teyla on her step and looked at the carving. It was of a hive ship hovering over some buildings. John wandered down the steps, looking at all the carvings. Some of them were hard to see because of the moss growing over them, and John cleared it as best he could.

The carvings were actually quite interesting – many of them were about the Wraith, like Teyla had said, but there were pictures of harvests and celebrations and animals and even what looked like a wedding.

Teyla knew the carvings quite well and was quite the little art critic, much to John's amusement. They looked at all the carvings, and then sat near the bottom and ate the sun fruits they had brought with them.

Eventually, the shadows began to lengthen and John knew that Tagan would be waiting for them back at the house. The sun was setting rapidly – it was one thing John had noticed about this planet – so he stood up and nodded at Teyla to do the same.

"Come on, it's getting late," said John. "We should be getting back."

Teyla nodded and stood up. "Yes, father will be…"

Teyla's voice trailed off and she froze, her eyes glazing over slightly as she rocked on the spot.

John recognised the look on her face. He wished he didn't.

"Wraith," he whispered.

Teyla didn't even spare him a glance before she started running up the steps – running towards her father, the town, and where the Wraith would be.

"No – Teyla – TEYLA WAIT!"

Pausing only to take the safety off his P-90, John ran after her.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Five**_

Teyla had a head-start on John and she was running faster than he had ever seen her move. John tore up the steps after her, but she had already plunged into the trees by the time he reached the top. It was darker amongst the trees, and louder too – from here John could hear the screams of the people in Tabol, the screech of Wraith darts flying overhead and the crashes of buildings and stalls being destroyed.

John couldn't see Teyla, but he knew exactly where she would be going. He sprinted towards the house as quickly as he could.

He didn't catch a glimpse of Teyla until he reached the treeline, when he saw her running across the open land towards the house, which stood some hundred yards away. John swore loudly and started after her, but stopped almost immediately.

A single wraith was standing in the field, his stunner in hand and pointed straight at Teyla.

John yelled to Teyla as he fired his P-90 at the wraith. John watched in horror as a blast erupted from the stunner even as his weapon fire sailed through the air towards the wraith.

Teyla threw herself to the ground, and the blast soared over her head. Bullets sliced into the wraith's chest a split-second later, and smashed through the stunner in his hands.

It didn't bring him down, though, and the wraith, completely ignoring John, started to stride towards Teyla.

John shot at him again, but the wraith kept going – it had obviously just fed on someone and was strong.

Teyla had picked herself up and stood as if frozen to the spot, watching the wraith advance on her. Then, when the wraith was mere feet away from her, she spun away, bent over and stood up again, a large stick in her hand.

John, running towards them and still firing at the wraith, swore again. "NO, NO, NO!" He yelled at her.

The stunner could no longer fire, but the wraith raised it like a club and swung it down, aimed straight at Teyla's head. She parried the blow with the stick in her hand, but even from a distance John could see the effort it took. She obviously had the knowledge and technique of fighting, but at fifteen she did not have the strength to stand up against a wraith for long.

But John no longer had a clear shot at the wraith. Teyla was too close to him, warding off blow after blow, forced back each time, starting to cry out in pain as the wraith continued to strike at her.

John kept running towards them, skirting round slightly so that Teyla would be out of his line of fire.

Teyla parried another blow but was not quick enough to stop the next one – the wraith spun his stunner round and drove the sharp end of the weapon into Teyla's calf.

Teyla screamed in pain and dropped the stick in her hand just as John opened fire again.

John was now close enough to the wraith to be considered a threat, and the wraith turned to face him as bullet after bullet tore into his chest. The wraith advanced on John, who kept firing. The wraith was starting to falter under the sheer amount of ammunition, but still had the strength to deliver a vicious backhand across John's jaw that sent him flying into the air and crashing down several feet away.

John landed heavily on his left shoulder but didn't have time to so much as groan, as the wraith was bearing down on him again.

John lay on his back and fired at the wraith again, bringing him down to his knees in front of him. The wraith reached out a hand towards John but then stopped suddenly, jerking like a puppet on a string.

The wraith let out a hissing breath and John rolled out of the way just in time as the wraith thudded forward onto the ground. His own stunner was sticking out of his back.

Teyla was kneeling behind the wraith, a slightly stunned expression on her face. She glanced at John but then jumped to her feet and started to run again.

She only made it a few steps before she fell back to the ground, crying out in pain.

John ran over to her as she tried to stand up again, and caught her before she fell.

"Father – I have to –" she said desperately, pushing John away and trying to run again. She fell forward as soon as she tried to.

"Teyla, you can't even walk," John said. He ran forward and, before she could push him away again, scooped her up into his arms. He couldn't help thinking that she was a lot lighter than the last time he had done this.

John ran back to the treeline, which was a lot closer than the house. Teyla kicked and squirmed angrily.

"NO! Father – I have to go –"

John put Teyla down at the treeline. "_Think_ Teyla," he said hurriedly. "You can't even walk. I'll go and get your father but you have to _hide_."

Teyla glared at him mutinously, but John knew this was the only way. He hated to leave her here, but it was the safest place to be – the wraith were concentrating on the town, and by the sounds of it there was only one wraith dart. It seemed to be a ground attack.

John had to save Tagan, and he couldn't do that if he had to carry Teyla with him.

"Stay here, Teyla," he said. And without waiting for an answer John turned and sprinted across the field as fast as he could go.

There were two other wraith in the field that John could see, but they were striding away from him – towards the town – and John ran as swiftly and silently as he could.

The air seemed full of screams, and John cursed himself for not insisting that Tagan warn the town what was to come. All of this could have been prevented – everyone could have left before the wraith arrived.

A small part of his mind told John that there had been no way of knowing the attack would come so soon, but John pushed it and all other thoughts away as he neared the house.

John flattened his back against the wall of the house and started to creep along the side. He could hear muffled shouting and stood still, trying to make it out.

"Teyla! Teyla!"

It was Tagan. He was alive, and he was in the house.

Breathing a sigh of relief, John moved faster along the wall, hurrying towards the door.

Then the shouting stopped, and all John could hear were bumps and crashes from inside the house. A cry of pain.

His heart in his mouth, John made it to the door – which was hanging of its hinges – and entered the house. The first room was empty, but he could clearly hear people moving around in the other room.

Before John could even move, a heart-stopping scream filled the house. John ran across the room to the doorway and rounded it, his P-90 ready.

A wraith stood with his back to John on the other side of the room. Pinned between the wraith's hand and the wall of the house, his face contorted in agony and growing older by the moment, was Tagan.

John opened fire on the wraith, and he turned around, surprised by the sudden attack. Tagan slid down the wall to the floor as John continued firing into the chest, belly and head of the wraith, which kept advancing on him, though he was faltering more with every step.

The wraith dropped to his knees, just as the other wraith outside had done, and John kept firing relentlessly until the wraith dropped down completely.

John snatched up the fallen wraith's stunner and drove it into his neck, just to be sure he wouldn't be getting back up.

There was a ringing silence as the echoes of the P-90 fire disappeared; disturbed only by the sound of Tagan's ragged breathing.

John fell to his knees beside Tagan, just as he tried to sit up. He placed a trembling hand on his shoulder.

"Just… just stay still," John said. "I'll get you out of here."

Tagan shook his head and tried to sit up again "No –" he said weakly, even as he fell back down.

"Stay still!" John demanded.

Tagan looked up at John, his eyes dull with age. He clutched at John's arm. "John, you have to get out," he said desperately "Teyla –"

John shook his head. "Teyla's safe, she's –"

Tagan's hand moved down his arm and grasped his hand. "John, tell her that she has to be strong –" he began.

John shook his head again. "Tagan, you can tell her yourself –"

"No!" Tagan exclaimed. He drew a wheezing, shuddering breath and held John's hand tighter.

"You must… you must tell her that she must take care of our people," he said, his eyes boring into John's. "The responsibility is great, and she is young but… but they will look to her."

Tagan's face collapsed sadly. "She will be a great leader," he said softly.

John clutched Tagan's hand tightly. "She _is_ a great leader," he told him.

Tagan looked up at John again, his grip on his hand weakening. "Tell her that I am proud of her," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "And how much I love her."

John didn't know what to say or do. He knew from experience that Tagan had been fed on for too long – he could see him getting weaker and weaker.

Tagan took another deep breath and his grip on John's hand tightened momentarily. When he spoke John could see that it was costing him every ounce of energy he had left.

"John, you must… you have to take care of her," he said. "Promise me you will keep her safe."

John's eyes widened. "Tagan –"

Tagan's eyes drifted closed. "Promise me…" he said quietly.

John drew in a shuddering breath. "I… I will," he said, though he knew that Tagan could no longer hear him. He squeezed Tagan's lifeless hand and placed it carefully on his lap.

"I promise," he said.

John sat back, but knew that he couldn't stay for more than a second. He had to get back to Teyla.

John heard footsteps in the room next door, but didn't raise his P-90. Maybe it was because they were so soft, or because the person was obviously limping, but John knew exactly who was in the other room.

"Father?" Teyla called softly, fearfully.

Teyla's head appeared around the doorway and John saw a dozen emotions pass over her face in a split second as she took in the scene in the room.

John stood up, his eyes never leaving her face. "Teyla –"

But Teyla didn't even look at him. "Father!" She cried, running across the room towards Tagan. She fell forward as soon as she started to run, but did not seem to notice or care. She crawled over to where Tagan lay, his skin shrivelled and dry, barely recognisable.

John reached out and put a hand on Teyla's shoulder. "Teyla – "

Teyla shrugged off his hand as she reached forward and touched her father's face, her hands trembling. "No…" she said shakily as she grasped his lifeless shoulders. "Father… please –"

John watched her shake Tagan desperately, her eyes bright with tears she refused to shed. The screams and sounds of carnage he had blocked out while Tagan laid dying hit him again – they couldn't stay.

John walked round and crouched behind Teyla. He placed a hand on her shoulder again. "Teyla, we have to get out of here," he said gently.

Teyla shook her head violently. "No – no –" she said. John wasn't even sure if she'd heard him.

John tightened his grip on her shoulder. "Teyla, come on –" he said.

"NO!" Teyla yelled, pushing him away. John was caught off-balance and fell back, landing hard on the side of his left hand, and he felt his wrist break underneath his weight.

John gritted his teeth against the pain and sat up again.

"He's dead Teyla –" John said firmly.

Teyla shook her head. "HE IS NOT DEAD!" She yelled.

"Teyla –"

"NO! NO! I CAN SAVE HIM!" Teyla threw herself at Tagan, her hands clutching desperately at his shoulders. "FATHER – PLEASE –"

John could hear footsteps outside the house getting closer and closer. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the active device. "Teyla –"

She didn't even look at him. Holding the device firmly in his right hand, John wrapped his arms around Teyla from behind and dragged her away from Tagan, grimacing as pain shot up his left arm as she struggled against his hold.

"NO!" Screamed Teyla, squirming desperately against John. John grabbed hold of Teyla's flailing hands in each of his and forced them onto either end of the device.

He pressed the buttons just as the wall behind them exploded.

John arched his back against the blast, shielding Teyla from the debris flying towards them. Bits of wood flew into John's shoulder and he cried out in pain, but didn't loosen his grip on Teyla or the device.

He kept his eyes on Tagan's aged, fading face as the world dissolved around him and everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Six**_

Wherever – or whenever – it was that John had reappeared was very quiet. All he could hear was the sound of a breeze rustling through trees and the sound of Teyla's unsteady breathing, to his immense relief. John hadn't known whether the device would work for both of them, but obviously it had.

John blinked and the light rushed back in, revealing John's surroundings. It was quite dark, but from what John could see they had reappeared in the middle of the ruins of a building. Judging by the strange grey light surrounding them John guessed that it was just before dawn.

A second after John could see again, the pain from his injuries hit home. Pain was shooting up and down his left arm and his wrist was throbbing. The shrapnel in his shoulder dug in deeper as he loosened his hold on Teyla.

Teyla turned to face John, and he jerked back when he saw the look of fury on her face.

"How could – why did – take me back!" Teyla cried. She pushed John and he rocked back slightly, staring at her.

Teyla pushed him again. "Take me BACK!" She yelled.

John's jaw dropped and he tried to protect his injured left hand as Teyla flew at him, slapping and punching at his shoulders and chest.

"I can't – Teyla stop –" John said, trying unsuccessfully to catch her flying fists in one hand.

"Take me back! Take me back!" Teyla wasn't yelling now – her voice was catching in her throat and her fists were no longer pummelling John. Instead she gripped the front of John's flak jacket and started to cry.

John froze as he stared at the top of Teyla's head, which had fallen forward to rest on his chest. He did the only thing he could. Ignoring the pain in his arm and his shoulder, John wrapped his arms around Teyla's back and held her tightly as she sobbed her heart out.

Teyla cried for what seemed like hours. He couldn't think of anything to say, so John kept holding her, stroking her hair and waiting for her to stop.

He looked around at their surroundings, and realised that they hadn't moved. They were sitting in the middle of the ruins of the house they had stayed in on Tabol, but these ruins were far worse than those John remembered from the future. The house was blackened and completely flat, as though it had been razed to the ground. John looked at the place where Tagan's body had lain – there were just the remains of the wall he had been leaning against.

John's mind raced. Had they come too far into the future? Where were they?

Teyla's sobs eventually stopped, and she let go of John and sat back. John dropped his arms and stood up, feeling a little awkward. He thought back to the last two times Teyla had hugged him – at both times she had been upset, but he didn't think that either of those experiences compared to what was happening right now. Teyla had just gone through possibly the most traumatising moment of her life. He never knew what to do or say at times like these.

John looked round, and breathed a sigh of relief. From his new, higher vantage point he could see that the rest of the town looked just as it had when he had been here before, it was just a different time of day – or perhaps a different day altogether.

John bent down and picked up the active device, which lay on the floor next to Teyla, who looked up at him questioningly, her eyes still damp with tears.

John looked carefully at the device, wondering why they had been sent back to a different time to what he had expected. He must have set the dials incorrectly. John slipped the device – which now had only two lights on it – back into his pocket and decided it could wait. At least until they got away from the wreckage.

"Come on, let's get out of here," John said. He helped her up and kept his right arm round her back to help her walk as he led her away from the centre of town. He didn't think that leading her through the ruins of Tabol would be the best thing for her right now, so he headed towards the steps instead.

Teyla was silent as they walked, staring at the ground and not even grimacing as she limped. John doubted she was feeling any pain right now. Not physical pain, anyway.

He turned on the flashlight on his P-90 as they entered the woods and had to let go of Teyla to aim the light on their path. Teyla kept walking, her eyes trained on the ground. John was starting to worry about her silence – she had the right to be quiet, but he felt like _he _should be saying something. His mind drew a complete blank.

They reached the steps – which looked exactly as they had when they had been there in the past – and John turned off his flashlight as here the early-morning sunlight was much brighter. Teyla didn't seem to acknowledge where they were as John helped her down the steps.

The steps led down to the rocky, bramble-covered plain the stargate stood on, and John looked towards the stargate, which stood a few hundred yards away. His shoulders slumped with relief.

The MALP stood next to it. He was back.

John looked down at Teyla, who was now staring round the plain, her eyes wide. She looked pale.

John saw a large, flat rock a few feet away. He led Teyla over to it and sat her down.

"Teyla, I need to look at your leg, is that okay?" John asked, kneeling down next to her. Blood was seeping through her trouser leg.

Teyla nodded silently. John rolled up her trouser leg – which was easier said than done with just one hand. The wound on her leg was quite deep but it was no longer bleeding too badly, and at least the cut was pretty clean.

John undid a pocket on his flak jacket and pulled out a tube of antiseptic cream and a bandage – which was the best he could do under the circumstances. He applied some of the cream and then placed the bandage on her leg, using his left elbow to hold it in place as he wrapped the ties around her calf and tied it off.

Teyla was completely silent while he dressed the wound, though John knew that it must have hurt. He handed her the tube of antiseptic cream.

"Teyla, when you change the bandage make sure you put some more of this cream on it, okay?" He said. Teyla took the cream from his hand and clenched it in her fist wordlessly.

John stood up and looked back to the stargate. He knew what he needed to do, and was filled with anger at the realisation that Davos had seen _this_, but not what was going to happen to the town.

"Come on," he said, turning back to Teyla. "I'll take you back to Athos."

Teyla glanced at him, and then stood up again without saying a word. John put his arm around her again and they walked slowly towards the stargate. They reached the DHD and John dialled the gate while Teyla stared the MALP. She turned back to John as he finished dialling and John saw a flash of confusion in her eyes. He realised belatedly that she was probably wondering how he knew the address to Athos.

Well, there were more important things to worry about right now.

The wormhole connected and John nodded towards the gate. He and Teyla stepped through the event horizon together.

John hadn't been to Athos in a couple of years. After the first disastrous trip to there he had gone back a couple of times with the Athosians to collect belongings and tools from the ruins of their villages, and to check out the Ancient city, which had yielded up nothing interesting, much to Rodney's dismay.

The field that the stargate stood on looked the same as it had done that night John had first arrived on Athos, which was a relief as John really didn't want Teyla to see what would happen to her planet.

It was the middle of the day, which was lucky as John needed light to see the devices. He took out the defunct device and placed it on the DHD, where he could see it properly, and then pulled out the active one. John looked carefully at the dials and saw that the middle circle of the where-you're-going dial was very slightly out-of-sync with the defunct device.

John considered that it was probably a good thing – things would have been complicated if Rodney and Ronon had been there when he had reappeared with a teenage Teyla in tow.

John set the dials on the active device. This time it was easier as they had to be exactly the same as the defunct one, except for the tiny difference of that middle circle. He set it slightly differently on both dials, so that it would send Teyla back to _after _the culling, and not before.

John suddenly realised why the markings on each device were identical – it was the same device. He shook his head. Time travel was very confusing.

Teyla sidled up next to John and stood close to him as he adjusted the device. She was staring round the planet, and looked a little fearful. John guessed she was scared of facing her people now that Tagan was dead. He thought of what she had told him the day before, about her fears of becoming leader.

He sighed and turned to her.

"Listen, Teyla, I'm going to give you this, so you can get back home," said John, handing her the active device. Teyla took it and frowned up at him.

"Trust me, we're on Athos but you're not back yet," he said carefully. "But that will get you there. You just have to push those two buttons."

Teyla looked down at the device in her hand and then back up at John, her eyes wide. "Are you not coming?" She asked in a small voice, speaking for the first time since she had broken down.

John shook his head slowly. "No," he said.

Teyla stared at him imploringly. "Please come with me," she said.

John stared at Teyla, his mouth gaping slightly, his throat tight. "I… I can't," he said quietly. "I'm sorry."

Teyla nodded and looked down at the ground again, hugging the Ancient device to her chest.

"What will I do now?" She asked.

"Teyla, your father told me…" John hesitated for a moment before plunging on. "He said to tell you that you have to be strong, and that you can't be afraid."

Teyla hugged the device tighter, and John placed his hand on her shoulder. "He said that your people will need you, and even though the responsibility is… he said that he's proud of you, and that he loves you. He said you'll be a great leader."

Teyla drew a deep shuddering breath and looked back up at John. Her eyes were bright with tears but they didn't fall. She raised her chin and John's eyes widened.

It was _Teyla_. The fierce determination he knew so well was shining through her eyes. John knew she would never be that innocent, curious young girl he had come to know ever again. He dropped his hand from her shoulder with a sigh.

"Teyla, I need you to do something for me," John said.

Teyla visibly drew herself together. "Yes?" She asked.

John held up the other device. "When you get back home, I need you to change that device so it looks exactly like this one," he told her. "Alright?"

Teyla looked confused but nodded. "Yes," she said.

"Then… then in a few years' time – _make sure _you wait for a few years – I need you to go back to Tabol and hide it there," he said.

Teyla's eyes widened, and John hated himself for asking her to do it.

"I'm really sorry Teyla, but I need you to do this," he said.

"I will," said Teyla quietly.

John nodded. "I know you will," he said. He gave her a small smile. "Alright then. You're ready to go."

Teyla's determined look faltered slightly as she took the defunct device from him. "Are you really not coming with me?" She asked.

John stared at Teyla, his heart breaking at the look on her face. John put his hand back on her shoulder again and looked her straight in the eye.

"Teyla listen," he said. "I can't come with you now but – but I'll see you again."

Teyla nodded and looked back down at the floor.

"It might not be for a while, and I might be… a bit different," John said. "But I _promise _I'll see you again."

Teyla nodded again and looked back up. "Alright," she said.

He squeezed her shoulder and let go. "And your father was right, Teyla," John said. "You _are_ going to be great leader."

Teyla held his gaze for a moment and then suddenly darted forward and hugged him round his middle. John hugged her back with his uninjured hand, his throat tightening with unshed tears.

Teyla stepped back after a few seconds and held the active device in both hands, the other device tucked under one arm. She nodded to John, the look of determination back on her face.

"Farewell, John," she said.

John managed a small smile and nodded back. "Take care, Teyla," he replied.

Teyla took a deep breath and pressed the buttons on either end of the device, and one of the lights on the device suddenly shone very bright, encompassing Teyla in an eerie blue glow.

She looked back up at him and held his gaze as she started to fade. John raised a hand to wave, but before he could she was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

_Well, here's the last chapter. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, and be sure to let me know what you think of the ending! Rx_

_**Chapter Seven**_

John heard the stargate activate in the distance and breathed a sigh of relief. _Finally_. He had been back on Tabol for almost six hours, waiting for his team to show up, which he had figured would be easier than gating back to Atlantis straight away. It also meant he avoided bumping into _himself_.

Still, it was a decision that hurt. He had wrapped his wrist as best he could and taken a couple of painkillers, but it still throbbed constantly. The shrapnel in his shoulder dug in more every time he moved, and his jaw was aching like he'd just eaten a ton of toffee. That backhand the wraith had given him had sure been a bad one.

He was also starving. Powerbars just didn't cut it.

John eased himself up away from the tree he was leaning against and shuffled forward on his knees to the edge of the treeline. He was sitting just inside the woods, with a clear view of the top of the path. He just had to make sure he wasn't seen.

A few minutes later, Ronon appeared at the top of the path. He turned around and called over his shoulder, and very soon was joined by John and Rodney.

John watched himself look around from his hiding place. This was weird on _so many levels_. It was way worse than seeing his evil dream self or the replicator version of him, because this guy actually _was him_.

Ronon pointed at something, and John remembered the body lying under the cart. He shuddered. It was probably someone he had met, had talked to…

John watched himself say something to Rodney, and remembered that he had asked him to check for lifesigns, because he had felt he was being watched. John hunkered down behind a large tree trunk and some brambles, to make sure his other self didn't see him. His shoulder protested angrily at his new position but John stayed still, until he heard Rodney yell.

John sat up again and saw that he had found and activated the device.

_Atta girl, Teyla_, John thought. She had got the device back.

He watched himself grow fainter and fainter – Rodney was staring at him in shock, and Ronon had his gun out, pointed straight at his fading form. A moment later he was gone.

Ronon and Rodney looked at each other.

"Sheppard?" Ronon yelled.

John's radio crackled into life on his vest and Rodney's panicked voice came through. "Colonel? Colonel come in…"

"Sheppard?" Ronon yelled again.

John stood up and started to stride towards the town, trying to forget the last time he had walked across this field, and the fight with the wraith that had happened feet away.

The place was really starting to get to him. He had to get out of here.

"Wait, Ronon, there's someone here," John heard Rodney say suddenly. He always forgot his radio was on.

Deciding that now was a good time to put his friends out of their misery, John activated his own radio. "It's me," he said. "Three o, clock. Don't shoot me."

Rodney and Ronon spun round to face him, and after a moment started to stride towards him. John noticed that Ronon's grip on his gun didn't lessen, but he would expect no less.

John tried not to look as he walked past, but his eyes couldn't help drifting as he went by the house he had stayed in. The house in which Tagan had died. As he had thought when he and Teyla had appeared that morning, it had been burnt to the ground.

John stopped suddenly. There was a small boulder next to where the front door had once been. Carved into the boulder was an Ancient symbol. John didn't know what it meant, but he did know he'd seen it before – on Athos.

Teyla had burnt down the house when she had returned to Tabol. She had laid her father to rest.

John stared at the boulder for a moment, before continuing walking, shaking his head sadly. Rodney and Ronon were nearly upon him now.

"Hey," John said casually as they got closer.

Rodney gaped at him. "What the hell happened to you?" He asked, taking in the bandage on his wrist and what John was sure was a very colourful bruise on his jaw.

"I broke my wrist," John said.

"How?" Rodney demanded.

"Where did you go?" Ronon asked.

"It's a long story," said John. "Which ends with me sitting here in a quite lot of pain for six hours, so can we _please _talk about it when we get back home?"

It wasn't just the pain he felt that made John eager to return to Atlantis – he had to see Teyla. He was almost positive that everything had worked out the way he planned, but he had to see her to be sure. And he needed to talk to her. He walked past Rodney and Ronon, and started towards the path.

"Six hours?" Repeated Rodney as he went by him. "How were you here for – oh my god have you seen your shoulder?"

John rolled his eyes. "No, but I can sure as hell _feel_ it," he said, still walking.

He picked up the pace when he got nearer to the Circle – it seemed like everywhere he looked he could see more dead bodies, covered in brambles and debris from falling buildings. He could see that the remains of the stalls were still arranged in the intricate circular formation that had become so familiar to him, and the inn where he had eaten with Tagan and Teyla had been blown apart by wraith weapons.

John had a feeling he was going to need some serious therapy after this one.

Rodney and Ronon didn't say anything as the three of them made their way down the winding path towards the stargate, but John could almost hear the looks they were giving each other behind his back. He didn't blame them – he couldn't imagine what_ he_ would think if this had happened to one of them. But it felt wrong, telling them what had happened before talking to Teyla about it first.

John picked up the pace again. He reached the DHD and paused, having to lean on it. His quick walk had done nothing to lessen the pain of his injuries, and he was feeling quite light-headed – lack of proper food and physical trauma. He'd felt it many times before.

Rodney dialled the gate and sent through his IDC. He activated his radio. "Atlantis, this is McKay requesting a medical team to the gate room. Colonel Sheppard's been injured."

"I can walk to the infirmary, McKay," John said as he walked towards the gate. He paused just before the event horizon and looked back over his shoulder, across the plain towards the steps, and knew that he would never come back to this planet. He took one last breath of Tabol air and stepped through the gate.

John felt hugely relieved when he stepped through the gate onto Atlantis – after spending three days not sure if he'd be able to get back, it was very gratifying to be home. He still felt a little uneasy, though, and looked around the room for Teyla, but she wasn't there.

Colonel Carter came running down the stairs from the control room. "Colonel, what happened?" She asked as she came nearer. Ronon stepped through the gate next to John and a few moments later, with a whine, the MALP drove through, reversed in by Rodney. John dodged out of the way of the MALP and turned to face Sam.

"Sam, have you seen –"

But Dr Keller and her team arrived at that moment and he was suddenly surrounded by medics, forcing him onto a gurney and peering at his injuries. John glared at them all but they ignored him, and started to wheel him away.

John's uneasiness increased. The reasonable part of his mind told him that there was no reason for Teyla to be in the gate room – his team hadn't been expected back yet, and she was probably in a whole other part of the city. Still, he needed to see her.

"Excuse us, Teyla," said Dr Keller suddenly.

John sat bolt upright as the gurney was wheeled past Teyla, who flattened herself against the wall to let them pass.

John opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out – instead he just drank in the sight of her, fully grown and _here_. Teyla caught his eye and her jaw dropped as she watched him speed past her. The medics rounded a corner and she was out of sight.

The infirmary was empty apart from John as he was directed to sit on a bed by Dr Keller. She cut off his flak jacket with a large pair of scissors, looking highly confused.

"Colonel, these injuries look several hours old," she said.

John nodded. "Yeah, about seven hours," he said. "Listen Doc, I –"

Keller cut him off. "But you were only gone for half an hour," she said.

"It's a long story," said John. "Doc, I really need to speak to Teyla."

"That can wait," said Dr Keller. "We need an X-Ray on the wrist, and shoulder and jaw, right away," she said to a nurse standing nearby.

"My jaw isn't broken," said John.

"Perhaps not, but I want to have a look," said the doctor briskly.

"Please, Doc, let me speak to Teyla," John said again. This was going to take _ages_, and he needed to speak to her, _right now_.

"Colonel –"

"Ten minutes, Doc," pleaded John. "It won't hurt."

Keller completely ignored him, and at that moment Colonel Carter walked into the infirmary, looking completely bemused.

"John what happened?" She asked. "McKay and Ronon said you disappeared and a minute later you reappeared and you were injured –"

"I need to talk to Teyla," John said firmly. He couldn't tell Carter about what had happened until he'd spoken to her first.

Carter frowned slightly. "Well, she's just outside…" she said.

John stared at Colonel Carter pleadingly. "Please Sam," he said. "Let me see her first."

Carter stared at him, the frown of confusion still in place. She glanced at Dr Keller, and then back at John. "Okay," she said after a moment. "I'll send her in."

John slumped in relief. "Thank you," he said.

He looked up at Dr Keller, who was glaring at him.

"Ten minutes, Doc, I swear," he said.

Keller narrowed her eyes. "_Fine_," she said exasperatedly. She nodded to the nurses to leave and started to draw the curtains around John's bed.

"But you sit back and _don't move_," she warned John.

John scooted back further onto the bed, the image of the model patient. Dr Keller narrowed her eyes at him again and yanked the curtains closed.

John listened to her footsteps fade away, and then to other footsteps drawing nearer. He drew a deep breath as the curtain opened and Teyla stepped in. She looked at him in concern. "Are you alright, John?" She asked.

John waved his right hand dismissively. "I'm fine," he said. He wasn't sure how to explain to her what had just happened to him – he only hoped she remembered it.

"Teyla, listen –" he began, but stopped when she held up something, wrapped in an Athosian cloth. She pulled away the cloth to reveal one of the Ancient devices. She smiled slightly and placed it on the foot of his bed.

John stared at it for a moment, and then looked back up at Teyla. "How did you know?" He asked.

"Your wrist," Teyla said. Her eyes swept his face. "Your other injuries." She took a step closer to the bed and looked at him seriously. "How you looked that day is something I never forgot," she said.

John stared at her. _She remembered_. What's more, she had always known this was going to happen. Ever since he had known her, she _had known_.

"I can't believe you never said anything," he said. "I mean, I understand _why _you didn't, it's just… it's been three years!" John shook his head in disbelief. "_How _did you never say anything?"

There was a chair near the foot of the bed, and Teyla pulled it closer to John and sat down.

"It was difficult at first," she said after a moment. "When you arrived on Athos and you did not know who I was…"

John thought back to their first meeting, thought of the way Teyla had spoken to him that day – so calmly and unfalteringly. But so trusting as well. She had always trusted him, and John had never wondered why. He had just trusted her in return.

"It must have been so weird," he replied.

Teyla smiled slightly. "A little," she said. "But after the first few weeks it became easier. In recent years I have thought of Tabol very infrequently."

John smirked slightly. "Forgot all about me, huh?" He quipped.

"Never," Teyla replied at once, completely seriously.

John blinked and had to look away, away from the intensity in her eyes. She had been waiting to talk to him about this for three years – seventeen, really – but to him it was so fresh. It had all happened a matter of hours ago. He could still hear the screams of the people of Tabol; feel Teyla shaking as she sobbed into his chest; see the look on Tagan's face as he gripped John's hand.

"I'm sorry," John said after a few seconds. He looked back up at Teyla, who was frowning at him.

"For what?" She asked.

John hesitated, and fought the urge to look away again. "For not – I'm sorry I couldn't save him," he said.

Teyla's eyes widened and she shook her head. "John… there was no way you could have," she said.

John's brow furrowed at the memory. "If I had –" he began, but Teyla cut him off, placing her hand on his.

"John," she said softly, as he looked at her in surprise. "You killed the Wraith. You saved me."

Teyla's expression darkened. "No one escaped the culling of Tabol," she said. "No one but us."

Her eyes bored into his. "There was nothing you could have done."

Teyla's hand was still on top of John's. He was very glad when she started speaking again, because it gave him something else to concentrate on.

"For years, when I thought of you, I could only remember how you got us out of there," said Teyla. "How strong you were, when I was..." Teyla's voice trailed off uneasily. She shook her head slightly and continued.

"When we met again, it took me many months to realise that you were not a …" Teyla shrugged and smiled, looking a little embarrassed. "A _superhero_, who had rescued me when I was a child."

John looked away, feeling very awkward. It was strange to imagine Teyla thinking of him like that.

"I realised that you are just a man," said Teyla. "And I came to respect you all the more."

John looked up at Teyla again and gave her a lopsided smile. He turned his hand over underneath hers and squeezed her fingers. "Thanks, Teyla," he said.

Teyla smiled tremulously and gripped his hand tightly. "I am glad you were able to meet my father," she said.

John's throat tightened. "So am I," he said. "You're just like him."

Teyla's smile lit her entire face and she tilted her head to the side. "Really?" She asked. For a moment she looked and sounded so much like the girl John had come to know that he had to grin.

"Yeah," he affirmed.

Teyla looked down for a moment, and when she looked back up her smile wasn't completely gone, but it was sad.

"I miss him," she said quietly. "Sometimes, I wish I could be a little girl again, with my father to take care of me."

Tagan's last words raced through John's mind, and he thought of what he had promised Teyla's father as he died. But he couldn't think of how to tell her – he wasn't even sure that he should.

John gripped Teyla's hand tighter and said nothing.

Teyla gave him another smile and stood up. "You should talk to Colonel Carter now," she said, letting go of his hand.

John nodded. "Yeah. This is gonna take some explaining," he said. He looked at the device at the end of his bed and smiled ruefully. "She and McKay are gonna go crazy over that thing," he said.

Teyla chuckled. "That I do not doubt," she said.

John raised his eyebrows at her. "And McKay will never forgive you for keeping it to yourself for three years," he told her.

Teyla raised an eyebrow right back at him. "He will get over it," she said.

She turned away and started towards the curtain, and John's eyes drifted down to her stomach. He thought of his reaction to her pregnancy and how awkward things had been between them. He thought about how he people were still missing, and how alone and helpless Teyla felt. He realised that he had already let her down in so many ways.

"Teyla," he said suddenly, making her stop near the foot of the bed and look back at him.

John took a deep breath. "I know I'm not… that is I…" John's tongue was twisting like it usually did in these situations. He took another breath and stared at Teyla determinedly.

"I promised Tagan that _I'd _take care of you," he said. Teyla's eyes widened, and John ploughed on.

"Even if I hadn't I'd still…" His voice trailed off and he tried again. "I want you to know that…"

Teyla walked back towards him, and John shut up. "I know," she said softly as she reached his side and grasped his hand again.

"You always have, John."

Even if John had known what to say in response he wouldn't have been able to speak as Teyla placed her other hand on his shoulder and leant down. John closed his eyes as their foreheads met, knowing that she meant what she said, and completely overwhelmed by the faith she had in him.

He vowed there and then that he would do more to deserve it.

Teyla straightened up and gave him a small smile before leaving John alone, thinking over the conversation they had just had. He couldn't help but feel that they had just turned a critical corner in their relationship, though he didn't quite know how.

He didn't have time to ponder it though, because the curtains were pulled open almost immediately to reveal Dr Keller, who had three nurses behind her wheeling over the portable X-Ray machine, and a determined look on her face.

He gave her a small smile. "That was less than ten minutes," he said.

Dr Keller rolled her eyes and started to direct the nurses to X-Ray his wrist first. They were manoeuvring the machine into position when Colonel Carter appeared at the end of his bed – Rodney and Ronon were right behind her.

Teyla hung back a little, one hand on her stomach.

Carter leant on the railings at the end of his bed. "Right, Colonel, what – what is _that_?" She asked, catching sight of the device lying by John's feet.

"It's a personal time travel device," John replied casually as a nurse guided his left arm into the X-Ray machine.

Sam Carter's blue eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and Rodney stepped up right behind her to peer over her shoulder. "_What?_" He said, flabbergasted.

John looked at Teyla, and they exchanged a knowing smile before he looked back Carter and Rodney, who were still staring at him.

John sighed. "This is a long story."

_**The End**_


End file.
